Richmond named fourth best place in England to grow up

A landmark new report has ranked Richmond upon Thames as the fourth best place in England for children to grow up.

The Children’s Commissioner report, called The Childhood Lottery, brings together 162 measures of children’s lives to examine how experiences and opportunities vary.

The analysis spans health, education, care, family life and communities. Of the measures considered, 96 were scored to produce the overall ranking, including access to services, the quality of support and outcomes for children.

Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council, said: “Every child deserves the best possible start in life, and this national recognition reflects the strength of Richmond’s schools, services and communities and the dedication of everyone who supports children and families across our borough.

“But being fourth best is not the same as every child having the same opportunities. We know some children and families face real challenges, and we are not going to be complacent. 

“We will keep working with our schools, health partners and communities to make sure every young person in Richmond gets the best possible start in life and the chance to thrive.”

The report describes Richmond as one of the ‘least challenging’ places in the country to grow up, with a score of 707 from a possible 960.

Richmond performs particularly strongly on education outcomes, with 70 per cent of children in the borough achieving a good pass (grade 5 or above) in both English and maths GCSEs, compared with around 45 per cent nationally.

Councillor Julia Cambridge, Chair of the Education and Children's Services Committee, said: “Our exam performance stands out in this report. Strong qualifications in English and maths open doors to further study, apprenticeships and employment, giving young people more choice about their next steps. We should be proud of the borough’s performance.”

The report shows that Richmond has the lowest proportions of children living in poverty and Year 6 pupils who are overweight or obese.

It also recorded the lowest proportion of children who said there were not enough fun activities near where they live. 

Read the full report.